NBA ‘preseason’ wraps up as regular season starts Tuesday
Wizards spoil Speights’ 41-point outburst
LOS ANGELES, Oct 13, (AP): From LeBron James’ arrival in Los Angeles to Jimmy Butler’s desire to leave Minnesota, it’s been an eventful NBA preseason.
It was a rocky one for the Timberwolves, who spent most of it dealing with the Butler drama and finished it dealing with Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in just 25 minutes of Milwaukee’s 143-121 romp.
And it was a rough one for the Spurs, who lost three guards to injuries, including starting point guard Dejounte Murray for the season with a torn ACL.
Russell Westbrook (right knee) and Dirk Nowitzki (left ankle) couldn’t even get on the floor, still recovering from surgeries. Nowitzki has already been ruled out by Dallas coach Rick Carlisle for the regular-season opener next week.
It’s still unknown if Butler will be playing then – or for what team. He didn’t travel with the Timberwolves on Friday to Milwaukee, with coach Tom Thibodeau saying he remained behind to work on his conditioning.
The preseason schedule wrapped up with 11 games, with the Lakers facing Golden State in San Jose, California in the last one. James sat out, as did Kevin Durant for the Warriors.
The regular season begins Tuesday with Boston hosting Philadelphia, followed by Oklahoma City visiting defending champions Golden State.
Nets 113, Knicks 107 Spencer Dinwiddie scored 19 points, D’Angelo Russell had 18 points and eight assists, and the Nets held on for a split of the preseason series with the Knicks.
Tim Hardaway Jr scored 18 points for the Knicks but departed with a sprained left wrist. The Knicks said X-rays were negative.
The teams meet again on Oct 19 in the Nets’ home opener.
Nets: Joe Harris scored 16 points and Caris LeVert had 14. The Nets were without starters Rondae HollisJefferson (left groin strain), DeMarre Carroll (ankle) and Allen Crabbe (left ankle sprain). Coach Kenny Atkinson said Hollis-Jefferson, who didn’t play in the preseason, played 5-on-5 earlier Friday and hoped the forward would be ready for opening night. Crabbe was hurt during the preseason, with Atkinson saying his injury was mild. G. Shabazz Napier (right hamstring strain) has missed the entire preseason and Atkinson said there was no update on his condition.
Knicks: Mario Hezonja scored 14 points and Noah Vonleh finished with 13. Luke Kornet made three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as the Knicks cut a 21-point deficit down to four in the closing minutes.
Ron Baker started at point guard, with coach David Fizdale saying he is still undecided who his starter on opening night would be at that position. Second-round pick Mitchell Robinson started at center after missing the last two games with a sprained right ankle. Trey Burke hit from about midcourt at the buzzer to end the first quarter.
Up next: Brooklyn (2-2) visits Detroit on Wednesday in its season opener. New York (3-2) hosts Atlanta the same night.
Spurs 100, Magic 81 DeMar DeRozan scored 20 points, nine coming from the line, LaMarcus Aldridge had 13 points and 15 rebound and the injury-riddled Spurs reached the century mark for the fourth time this preseason.
Evan Fournier led the Magic with 23 points.
Spurs: The injuries are adding up for the Spurs as Rudy Gay (heel) and Derrick White missed the game. White underwent an MRI examination Thursday that revealed a left plantar fascia tear. San Antonio held Orlando to 10 first-quarter points, and the Spurs led 40-30 at halftime as both teams shot less than 31 percent.
Magic: Orlando’s first-round picks from the past two drafts played together for the first time as second-year forward Jonathan Isaac scored five points in 20 minutes and rookie center Mohamed Bamba added 15 points in 23 minutes.
Up next: San Antonio (3-2) hosts Minnesota on Wednesday. Orlando (2-3) hosts Miami on Wednesday.
Wizards 140, Long-Lions 111 Rookie Devin Robinson scored 23 points, 15th overall pick Troy Brown Jr added 21 and the Wizards spoiled Marreese Speights’ 41-point outburst.
Speights was 13-of-27 shooting, with seven 3-pointers, for Chinese Basketball Association’s Guangzhou Long-Lions. He also grabbed eight rebounds in 40 minutes.
Long-Lions: Speights, who won a championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2015, scored 16 of his teams’ 37 first-quarter points. He was 6 of 8 from the field to help the LongLions stay close at 38-37. He finished the half 7 of 10 for 20 points and he had 34 points at the end of the third quarter. The Long-Lions were 19 of 41 from 3-point range.
Wizards: Otto Porter Jr and Ian Mahinmi each scored 11 points in the first quarter, and Washington took control in the second quarter – outscoring the Long-Lions 34-17. The Wizards shot 61 percent in the half, and broke the century mark in the third quarter, leading 107-85. Washington star guards John Wall and Bradley Beal did not play.
Up next: Washington (4-1) hosts Miami on Thursday.
Hornets 123, Mavericks 118 Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb each made three of Charlotte’s 19 3-pointers.
Walker scored 13 points in 17 minutes, Lamb added 11 points and rookie Miles Bridges had 13 points and seven rebounds.
DeAndre Jordan had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Luka Doncic also scored 18 for Dallas, which recently returned from two games in China.
Hornets: Malik Monk banked in a 3-pointer from beyond midcourt just before the first-quarter buzzer to pull Charlotte within 35-29. The teams, who entered averaging 30-plus 3-point attempts, combined to make 11 3-pointers in the first quarter. The Hornets led 58-53 at halftime behind Walker’s 13 points.
Mavericks: Jordan had 11 points and nine rebounds in 18 first-half minutes. Doncic made three 3-pointers in the half and scored 11 points.
Up next: Charlotte (4-1) hosts Milwaukee on Wednesday. Dallas (2-2) plays at Phoenix on Wednesday.
Pistons 129, Cavaliers 110 Detroit’s big men dominated in East Lansing. Blake Griffin scored 29 points, Andre Drummond added 21 and the Pistons made 21 3-pointers at Michigan State’s Jack Breslin Student Events Center.
Rodney Hood led Cleveland with 21 points, 11 coming from the free-throw line.
Pistons: Griffin and Reggie Jackson had eight points apiece in the first quarter as Detroit led 35-30. The Pistons extended it to 69-60 by halftime. Griffin had 19 points and five assists in 16 first-half minutes and Drummond added 16 points with six rebounds in 19 minutes. Ish Smith beat the third-quarter buzzer with a 3-ponter from the wing to extend Detroit’s lead to 99-91.
Cavaliers: George Hill added 14 points and Tristan Thompson had 13 points and nine rebounds.
Up next: Detroit (2-3) host Brooklyn on Wednesday. Cleveland (2-2) plays at Toronto on Wednesday.